1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooperation system in which a portable terminal and a controlled apparatus operate in cooperation with each other.
2. Description if the Related Art
Devices for pointing at a position on a screen image are collectively referred to as a pointing device. Among them, a mouse and a trackball are typical as the pointing device.
A mouse measures directions and distances of movement to transmit values thereof to a computer. Furthermore, one to several switches are attached to a mouse at a position of a finger tip or positions of finger tips of an operator's hand placed on the mouse so as to cover the top and side portions thereof with a palm of the hand. By pushing down a switch, one of various kinds of commands can be given to a computer.
A trackball is of a structure as would be observed if a mouse was turned upside down. A trackball is functionally the same as a mouse in that directions and distances of movement as a mouse of the trackball are transmitted to a computer according to movement of the ball. Since the body of a trackball is embedded in a keyboard, an advantage can be enjoyed that reduction in occupancy area can be attained compared with a mouse.
Other pointing devices have been developed: such as a joystick, an electronic pen and others. A joystick tilts a lever thereof, to the back and forth, and to the right and left, and directions and distances of movement thereof are transmitted to a computer according to its movement. An electronic pen has the shape of a ball point pen and transmits directions and distances of movement thereof to a computer.
If a pointing device as described above is adopted, an apparatus is greatly improved on its operability.
Among apparatuses, however, some has difficulty adopting a pointing device. For example, since a printer does not have display means (if any, it is small in size), even if a pointing device was adopted in such an apparatus, no improvement on its operability would be expected.
It is natural that if large display means is installed, there arises a merit of adopting a pointing device. A printer with large display means, however, would suffer a demerit of higher cost or the like.